I'd just like to say a big thank you to Othais, Mae and the crew for having me out. It was a real thrill to be asked to participate in the new clip. Great episode and eagerly looking forward to its continuation in the next instalment.
So, this might be obvious to others, but I just found out so I thought I'd post it here. I recently read an open letter written to the _Times_ in 1879 by a Sergeant Major of the British army. He noted that the introduction of the breech loading Martini-Henry had resulted in such an increase in the rate of fire that the barrel would get very hot, and therefore if a soldier quickly fired more than ten or so rounds, he couldn't hold the rifle around both stock and barrel and was forced to _"allow the wood to rest on his left [hand], pinching it as hard as possible to keep it steady; but as to using his bayonet with any hope of effect, this is out of the question, for a child could almost knock it out of his hand"._ He blamed this for the inefficacy of the bayonets used against the Zulus at Isandlwana, but went on to strongly recommend that military rifles in future should _"have a concaved thin piece of wood"_ fixed above the barrel between the sights to protect the hand from being burned when the bayonet was in use during combat. This advice appears to have been taken on-board with the design of the lee-series rifles which had a much greater rate of fire. It also explains the presence of wooden furniture over the barrel on these guns and others of the period, but not on earlier, slower firing military rifles and muskets.
lancer D case of a old authority on musketry,British had the same problem after the Boer war alot of so called experts wanted the British army to adopt a mauser action, mausers are great hunting rifles, great target pieces but they aren't equal to the Lee Enfield as a combat arm note the p-14/Enfield 1917,a great target piece But a slow badly balanced gun despite it's use by two world powers it was never the soldiers first choice, hell even Indian soldiers preferred single shot martini Henry's to it!
@@royperkins3851 As a boy I read some of the tales of the Defence of Rorke's Drift. Soldiers allegedly called for wet cotton cloth to wrap around their rifles.
@@aussiebloke609 Whenever the British made a modification to their small arms, they would either add a Mark number or a star. For example, the No.1 Mk.III* differs from the No.1 Mk.III primarily with the omission of the magazine cutoff and volley sights.
one of the best parts of this series is all the effort you guys make to capture the full sound of all the weapons firing. Most other gun channels don't or can't do that, and everything ends up sounding virtually identical. This is an amazing work of documenting history (I mean the whole series, not just this episode :P).
My Great Grandfather was a RIfleman in the Kings Royal Rifle Corps, 3rd Bn (60th Rifles) - joining in 1899 as an 18yr old, serving in the 2nd Anglo Boer war through to 1915 - he carried both the Long Lee and the SMLE during his time of service. As a fellow collector of LE's - I'm sure my Grt Grandfather would approve of this video as well. Cheers!
Actually the Poor Royal Navy eventually hung on to the SMLE till about 1969. Reason being we have a lot of ammo, and don't fight with rifles, that's what the Army are for, so don't need to replace them. Except- as my old RN small arms instructor said' The Andrew (Slang for RN) didn't account for people like me using a 1000 roudns a week for private use.'
caveymoley Without the British the French would have got overrun by the Germans the Germans had numbers France did not have numbers but you British did. I respect your nation I am glad to call you a allie
Who needs TV, with Othais, Mae and the crew doing such a Fing fabulous job of Entertaining, History lesson and research, for these Episodes on WWI Firearms. Great work on production of quality material, which engrosses me most evenings for the past two or three years. Great intro bt Rob of BML. Thanks again,
C&Rsenal do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it
The best sources of information are those you can trust to update themselves when they discover a mistake. You have passed the test with flying colours (yes that is how my people spell colours) thank you for the update and an excuse to watch a great piece of work again.
Love the new version! britishmuzzleloaders is an amazing channel and it tickles me to see you working together though I was confused at first. Love this new version, now I have to watch it all over. Well, I want to anyway.
I thought that was Mae in the intro. The skirt has me confused. She might get a little wax on that upper lip to take care of that little beauty problem area there.
britishmuzzleloaders is one of my most favorite channels. He is passionate about British firearms. I watch every single video of his channel and C&Rsenal's as well. Love to see the cooperation!!
Our chief weapons are surprise, mustaches, the Long Lee Enfield, the Lee Metford, a galaxy of Martini-Henrys, devotion to the Queen (Gawd bless 'er) and...
Very informative! Procurement by committee, it's the British way! Looking forward to the SMLE. Used to fire these as a cadet 13-14 yrs old in the 1970s.
A very good episode, depth of history and development excellent. Mae as usual outstanding with Othais in conversation. Her usual glee at shooting is apparent, she is insightful of the ergonomics of these weapons.
very true, just had a thought. the Zulu wars forced a repeater into service, Afghanistan force accuracy and long barrels , the bore war brought it all together
Three of my favourite channels in one comment thread? I must've died and gone to heaven. All I need now is a blessing from Gun Jesus aka Ian from Forgotten Weapons.
Just another wonderful episode! I just love the job you guys do! Rimlock is an ammo-related problem, most of the time. At least today it is. Original Mk VII .303 cartridges had rims which were beveled at the rear so they could slide over the next cartridge instead of locking onto it's rim.
Just superb. Someday old people are gonna look back and say, "I was there when the youtubes finally got good." And that was a touching shout out to your folks, Mae. I imagine they're quite proud of you. Keep up the great work, and don't let the fudds and koobecaf kranks get you down.
Did you fill the chargers correctly? "One rim back, one forward, one back, one forward, one back". That allows the rounds to settle into two stacks in the magazine, and usually prevents rim lock.
The problem Mae had with the chargers in the MkI* is because when they are made they are coated with a phosphate coating both inside and out. It has a texture roughly similar to sandpaper and the coefficient of friction is tremendous making it almost impossible to strip 5 rounds at once into the magazine. Experienced Lee Enfield competition shooters will polish the inside of the stripper clips so they slide virtually effortlessly into the magazine. It would be interesting to see an episode detailing the civilian target rifle versions of all the various iterations of the Lee Enfield rifle.
52:19 For myself, the advantage of keeping a gun decocked is that, God forbid, there be rusting of the springs for any reason, it reduces the risk of the rust binding the spring and so making cleaning impossible. Mind, if your spring rusts, you probably will want to replace it if one intends to shoot the gun, but for show pieces where authentic original bits are ideal, it helps some to keep the springs out of tension.
Fort sumter was illegally taken by a Union major. Sumpter was confederate by succession, the major on order of lincoln held the position. The confederacy tried to solve it peacefully. Going as far as to ask lincoln to order them out. Lincoln said no so they tried to smoke them out
56:30 I remember that song from the ending of Breaker Morant. Great movie! "What rule did you shoot him under?" "I'll tell you what rule we applied sir! We applied Rule 303"
Othias et al. your attention to detail is amazing; It's good to see my money well spent. As to @britishmuzzleloaders, thank you. I now have another channel to sub and a reason to acquire a Martini-Henry. Keep up the good work y'all.
I have my grandfather Lee Metford bayonet as the Royal Montreal Regiment still had the Lee Metford their contribution in the Boar war. So they entered the trenches at Ypres equipped with the Lee Metford as opposed the the other Canadian troops carrying the Ross Rifles. So I had feed back on that from grandfather. Along with stories of fighting alongside indigenous troops like, Francis Pegahmagabow MM, Indian (Sikh, Muslim and Gurkha ) soldiers equipped with Indian (Ishapore) made Lee Enfield rifles. Also Note Francis Pegahmagabow MM who most likely use a Mark I Ross rifle, which he continued to use until severely wounded in the late stages of the war and was evacuated to England for Surgery and recovery then back to Canada.
Othias, Othias....ahhhhh...at 16:15 you mention 1 Sergeant and 3 enlisted men of the "123rd Royal Welsh Fusiliers" and raised the hackles of the land of my fathers. It should be 1st Btn, 23rd Regt of Foot (Royal Welsh Fusiliers) for that 1880 date. They must have worked fast because later that year the 1st Btn was sent to India. You do such a fabulous job but I just had to mention rhis. Cymru am blyth!
Pleeeeease do an episode on the Martini Henry! I need to know how and why they decided to use foil brass cartridges (at least at first). I know it’s a little anachronistic for WWI but...ya know...just do it anyways. For me?
It's not anachronistic!! According to en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_infantry_weapons_of_World_War_I both Martini-Henris in .577/450 and Martini-Enfields in .303 made it to the First Big Playground Squabble. Something something incendiary ammunition for shooting at balloons; arming sailors in minesweepers and q-ships.
such a great well connected video! my father & 2 brothers were on Gallipoli (1 is still there he was a champion shot but was downed by a shell before he reached the firing line) some of the NZs were still using the long tom & burns from the barrel were a problem , a guy mentioned this in a home letter & was accused of subversive activity! My dad (South Canterbury Mounted ) said the Long Tom seemed more accurate than the short Mk 111 ,funny thing my brother in law ( WW2 survivor) said same thing ie. a he saw more exceptional shooting with the "old" Tom than later marks. he was a keen shooter before army serviceHe should have known he want through Greace, Western desert & Italy (went with 34...4 returned) He did one hell of a lot of fighting & used every gun he came across
Strangely enough the Lee Metford can still be seen being carried on parade, it’s the standard issue parade weapon of the Atholl Highlanders in the U.K.
I think the format of the show is rite-on,, I like the the detailed history and the impression of the rifle from the shooter,, is a huge part of how we can understand it's feel and operation. It's unfair about some comments made with a conceding flavor ,, everyone has their rite to be heard, but sometimes I wonder if they think about it first, or what they really want to address? You all make first rate videos, Thanks.
In the late '60's and into the '90's, I collected Lee-Enfields. This was a time when I could pick up a No4 T w//scope for under $200. Try that today. Anyway, my collection ran from a CL-MLE, to No. 1's (8 ea) No. 2's (2 ea), No. 4's (13 ea) a single N0. 5 and a replica Aussie No. 6.MKI. All with bayonets. Because of this, I consider myself some what knowlegeble about the Lees. I still found your Primer #045 interesting. The only comment I can suggest is that Mae should keep the rifle mounted on her shoulder, instead of dropping it to waist level to operate. I have noticed her doing this in other videos as well.
I am almost sure after firing the first 10, loading 5 and firing five and repeating the 5 and 5 was the norm. Fumbling with the second charger to get the 10 into the magazine would be slower than just 5 and 5. If you were bursting from cover or going over the trench top 10 would be nice to have on tap.
At 1:12 she is not using the stripper clips as designed. I have used them many times on my various SMLE variants, and it is one quick downward push with the extended thumb, and- Bob's your uncle!
This isn't an SMLE variant. Those were designed to use a stripper clip, these were not. From my understanding these were a bit iffy when new, but add in the obvious wear and tear this rifle has suffered and her issues aren't surprising.
__- don’t worry, the Ottomans and Romanians used the Martini Henry rifle (or derivatives of that system) during the war. An Ottoman Martini Henry has appeared on the rack on several episodes.
The fact that the British adopted the detachable box magazine rifle only to cripple it with charger loading is a real puzzle as they had the potential for a massive advantage in firepower yet destroyed it by back stepping to a clip loader!
WHY will no one tell me why my cat constantly licks his nether regions while watching these videos? What secret cat licking technology do you employ ???!!
I am really glad this show doesn't have that British patriotic bias for lee-enfields, or at least tried to maintain the most neutral attitude about it than any other show I have seen. I noticed a recurring problem of British shows tend to have bias even if they aren't trying to. They keep mentioning the cock-on-close and the fast feeding system too much and not enough pointing out the flaws of the weapon. This still happens if it is not done by a British show. They'll keep doing the same thing. They simply don't point out the flaws enough or put that much emphasis on the flaws like they should, too me. I get a feeling I am not being provided the full scale of the gun in the process whenever I do. Even if you did there's a chance of a chaotic stir of a complaint storm from those who are lee-enfield fans, all because they made it seem not at the same scale of glorious like they imagine them to be. It's like someone making a none bias video about AK-47s. The fans and the lore behind them make gaining or providing education about the devise very difficult, and thanks to the lore it causes misinformation, thanks to causing people not bothering to check facts. They just rely on the lore, myths, and stories being true. You simply can't have a none bias informational segment about high profile guns, such as these. Good job C&Rsenal
Tom Sanders fragile mags for the role that it ENDED UP IN (the durability was just fine for what the magazine was intended for), the busy sight picture, the feed-lip and rim-lock problems especially present in the Lee-Metford, and the lack of strength for the cartridges for what the Brits wanted (.276 Enfield). When compared to the Mauser, it is not as accurate. There was also the fact that they had to update the rifle about a dozen times.
Magazine cut off; another one of management's better ideas. Loved by the brass, hated by the troops. I wonder how many of these rifles, like yours, some how managed to lose the cut off?
The magazine cutoff was a great idea at the time the Lee Metford was adopted. Without clip loading, your practical rate of fire whether using the magazine or not was essentially the same so in general firing it would be reasonable to use single shot. The magazine would then provide you a brief, rapid series of shots when needed. In particular the opening of the battle is likely to be at longer ranges when slower more deliberate fire is needed, so using the magazine then would provide minimal benefit. Through the life of the Lees British doctrine actually reflect this concept in that you were supposed to try to reload after firing five rounds but, if needed, you still had five in reserve. And loading five twice is effectively the same time usage as loading ten once. Once clip loading was introduced that all changed and there was no reason not to constantly use the magazine. The cut-off stuck around on the SMLE primarily as a sort of safety. You could easily load ten rounds, close the magazine cut-off and close the bolt with to have your rifle loaded with the chamber empty. And in drill and training it allowed the NCOs and officers to easily see what you were doing.
Mae mentioned the dust cover dragging. I have a long lee that didn't come with a dust cover. however I was able to find an original dust cover. Upon installing it, I found it dragged a fair bit, causing a once smooth bolt operation to be a little rough. Were these covers originally fitted to each rifle individually?
Othias's comment about Britian's large budget is somewhat deceptive. Yes, England's own home army was rather small, but England had to also consider it's world wide naval presence as well as military presence in most of Africa, Arabia, and Asia. Seen in that light their military budget was seen as anemic.
I wonder if back in the early 1900s people would collect old military firearms similar to how we collect their weapons today. Conversely I wonder if in another 100 years time if people will be collecting AR-15s and AKs as old Curio and Relic firearms and doing videos on them the same way this channel does.
Thanks for taking the trouble to update and clarify the "spare magazine" issue. In addition to going out of your way to keep your content 100% accurate the manner of your update was outstanding. Thanks again to both the C&R team and British muzzle loaders.
Great video guys!! I also subscribe to britishmuzzleloaders and it was great to see him on your channel. Can't wait for more of your videos! Proud to be a fellow Carolina citizen.
Another great episode. I really appreciate the research that goes into the history of the guns, it makes the show. For the watchers, pokey hand or pencil?
I'd just like to say a big thank you to Othais, Mae and the crew for having me out. It was a real thrill to be asked to participate in the new clip. Great episode and eagerly looking forward to its continuation in the next instalment.
britishmuzzleloaders As high of quality as we come to expect. was awesome to see the appearance.
britishmuzzleloaders I've been a subscriber to your channel for a few months already and I love your drill videos. they're amazing
Great! Thank you very much..... Great place this as well, though....
britishmuzzleloaders Thanks to your videos I know what "controversial marks of ammunition" Othias mentions at 1:07:10.
Ahh! a conscientious viewer. Well done! An, of course, that's why you are here at C&Rsenal!...
So, this might be obvious to others, but I just found out so I thought I'd post it here. I recently read an open letter written to the _Times_ in 1879 by a Sergeant Major of the British army. He noted that the introduction of the breech loading Martini-Henry had resulted in such an increase in the rate of fire that the barrel would get very hot, and therefore if a soldier quickly fired more than ten or so rounds, he couldn't hold the rifle around both stock and barrel and was forced to _"allow the wood to rest on his left [hand], pinching it as hard as possible to keep it steady; but as to using his bayonet with any hope of effect, this is out of the question, for a child could almost knock it out of his hand"._ He blamed this for the inefficacy of the bayonets used against the Zulus at Isandlwana, but went on to strongly recommend that military rifles in future should _"have a concaved thin piece of wood"_ fixed above the barrel between the sights to protect the hand from being burned when the bayonet was in use during combat. This advice appears to have been taken on-board with the design of the lee-series rifles which had a much greater rate of fire. It also explains the presence of wooden furniture over the barrel on these guns and others of the period, but not on earlier, slower firing military rifles and muskets.
Ooh nice.
lancer D case of a old authority on musketry,British had the same problem after the Boer war alot of so called experts wanted the British army to adopt a mauser action, mausers are great hunting rifles, great target pieces but they aren't equal to the Lee Enfield as a combat arm note the p-14/Enfield 1917,a great target piece
But a slow badly balanced gun despite it's use by two world powers it was never the soldiers first choice, hell even Indian soldiers preferred single shot martini Henry's to it!
Some British troops wrapped leather hide around the barrel to counter-act it becoming too hot to touch.
@@royperkins3851 If you say so. But still a good joke.
@@royperkins3851 As a boy I read some of the tales of the Defence of Rorke's Drift.
Soldiers allegedly called for wet cotton cloth to wrap around their rifles.
I love britishmuzzleloaders so much...
His delivery is superb, and his breadth of knowledge unmatched. Glad to see an official tie in from him!
King Charles needs to appoint Rob "Keeper of the Imperial Moustache"
@@HarryFlashmanVC David Fletcher of The Tank Museum would be a contender. ;) (I like to revisit C&Rsenal, it's like seeing an old friend again.)
Technically this video should be renamed Primer 045*
Add a star for every time they need to redo a take? Or are titles not allowed to be that long? :-D
@@aussiebloke609 Whenever the British made a modification to their small arms, they would either add a Mark number or a star. For example, the No.1 Mk.III* differs from the No.1 Mk.III primarily with the omission of the magazine cutoff and volley sights.
one of the best parts of this series is all the effort you guys make to capture the full sound of all the weapons firing. Most other gun channels don't or can't do that, and everything ends up sounding virtually identical. This is an amazing work of documenting history (I mean the whole series, not just this episode :P).
I appreciate that. We put some thought into the microphones
My Great Grandfather was a RIfleman in the Kings Royal Rifle Corps, 3rd Bn (60th Rifles) - joining in 1899 as an 18yr old, serving in the 2nd Anglo Boer war through to 1915 - he carried both the Long Lee and the SMLE during his time of service. As a fellow collector of LE's - I'm sure my Grt Grandfather would approve of this video as well. Cheers!
Actually the Poor Royal Navy eventually hung on to the SMLE till about 1969. Reason being we have a lot of ammo, and don't fight with rifles, that's what the Army are for, so don't need to replace them. Except- as my old RN small arms instructor said' The Andrew (Slang for RN) didn't account for people like me using a 1000 roudns a week for private use.'
gotta do something while you are under way, and random pieces of flotsam make great targets
As an English man living in France, I salute your battle cry at 35:14.
rofl
I wish I could set it as my text notification now...
C&Rsenal you know. I would buy that as a ring tone.
Now release a video with line being looped over and over.
caveymoley Without the British the French would have got overrun by the Germans the Germans had numbers France did not have numbers but you British did. I respect your nation I am glad to call you a allie
Who needs TV, with Othais, Mae and the crew doing such a Fing fabulous job of Entertaining, History lesson and research, for these Episodes on WWI Firearms. Great work on production of quality material, which engrosses me most evenings for the past two or three years. Great intro bt Rob of BML. Thanks again,
Those legs... that kilt... those socks... that mustache... all we need now is to get Othais in that getup and my life will be complete
I mean, I have a kilt...
It has begun...
Othais? I thought that was Mae!
C&Rsenal do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it
Othais in a kilt? I’m not 100% sure he has legs! Never seen him stand... Love the videos 😎
"O *bleep* the French!!!!!" BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
That was great!
The best sources of information are those you can trust to update themselves when they discover a mistake. You have passed the test with flying colours (yes that is how my people spell colours) thank you for the update and an excuse to watch a great piece of work again.
Love the new version! britishmuzzleloaders is an amazing channel and it tickles me to see you working together though I was confused at first. Love this new version, now I have to watch it all over. Well, I want to anyway.
Mae should grow a big mustache.
I thought that was Mae in the intro. The skirt has me confused. She might get a little wax on that upper lip to take care of that little beauty problem area there.
C&Rsenal Please review the fedorov avtomat.
35:14 just for those who want to hear one of Othias' best lines ever.
I'll look like know who
M mm I you I look I'll I am in likek like him lookout I'll I would Kijiji ki k I'm I
I ik
I ki in I looking lo
lmao
As a surplus military weapons geek, I must say your videos are fantastich, they bring me much joy. please keep them coming?
Every other week
What kind of wonderful introduction was that?
What a gorgeous uniform!
britishmuzzleloaders is one of my most favorite channels. He is passionate about British firearms. I watch every single video of his channel and C&Rsenal's as well. Love to see the cooperation!!
Louie Lam I guess I’ll have to check them out with all the kudos I see here!
As a British civil servant this video fills me with pride which I have set out in a 302 page addendum to this comment.
The shots of May firing in this episode (like 57:32) have such a beautiful color palette to them
I didn't expect to see britishmuzzleloaders when I opened this video.
NOBODY EXPECTS THE SPANISH INQUISI,........
Our chief weapons are surprise, mustaches, the Long Lee Enfield, the Lee Metford, a galaxy of Martini-Henrys, devotion to the Queen (Gawd bless 'er) and...
Love it.
britishmuzzleloaders ...and kilts, Dear Lord, I almost forgot kilts.
And a bayonet...with some guts behind it.
What about ruthless efficiency? Surely there is room in there for some of that, too?
It warms my cockles to see great channels collaborating
First Remington Lee image I’ve seen, thanks so much I’ve been looking forever
First Remington Lee I've heard of! Most excellent research and compiling.
Very informative! Procurement by committee, it's the British way! Looking forward to the SMLE. Used to fire these as a cadet 13-14 yrs old in the 1970s.
"I prefer the kind of cocking action where I'm pulling it back into me" -Mae
caveymoley oooooooh matron!!!!!!! 😂😂😂😂👍🏻
( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
For double entendre fans this episode was a peach...
SNURK SNURK FNARRR FNARRRRR!
That dig at the french at 35:14 had me break out in corpsing laughter.
I enjoy these videos immensely. I appreciate you doing all the hard work so I can learn, sitting on my couch, drinking coffee.
Thank you, it means a lot to hear.
A very good episode, depth of history and development excellent. Mae as usual outstanding with Othais in conversation. Her usual glee at shooting is apparent, she is insightful of the ergonomics of these weapons.
Nice work! Thanks for including the Lee's shortfalls during the Boer war. Very interesting!
Glad you enjoyed it!
very true, just had a thought. the Zulu wars forced a repeater into service, Afghanistan force accuracy and long barrels , the bore war brought it all together
It's great to see C&Rsenal collaborating with BritishMuzzleLoaders on this!
I have watched this before, which is a testament to the quality of your combined talents, a feature length episode, brilliant, Thank you again Mark 👍
I thought the re-upload was a mistake, so I'm rather glad that I clicked anyway!
lazaglider I had thought the same which is why I came here looking (hoping) to find a comment like yours!
So it's not the same video then?
Just listening to all the Stories of Lee's childhood makes me giggle with unbridled joy.
I love these presentations, format, evaluations. Keep up the good work Othias & Mae!
THAT WAS THE BEST INTRODUCTION THE FRENCH HAVE EVER GOTTEN
I can't stop laughing
I sent it to both my partners, I can't 😂🤣
On rewatching (for, like, the tenth time), I noticed that the bolt is popping slightly open on some of Mae's shots. The Blish Principle strikes again!
We now just want Bloke and cap&ball to join in,
Look what you've done, you've summoned him. Now he's going to want to talk about Swiss rifles!
Well, that and 40 ways to shoot over a highway.... :-)
Come, come, now.... the mighty Bloke!?.. Titan of Neutral-European, cerebral, mountain shooting?
And not forgetting Ian and Carl.now you know my Favourite U T sites. THANK's to you ALL.:)
Three of my favourite channels in one comment thread? I must've died and gone to heaven. All I need now is a blessing from Gun Jesus aka Ian from Forgotten Weapons.
Mae is freaking awesome. A woman that loves to shoot these old rifles is awesome. Plus the way she messes with Othais was really funny
A very well done vid! It was long and I had to watch twice but I don't know how else it could have been done. Thanks for the hours you put into it.
Even after the second viewing 35:08 that is HILARIOUS.
Three years later, I still laugh out loud every time
Just another wonderful episode! I just love the job you guys do!
Rimlock is an ammo-related problem, most of the time. At least today it is. Original Mk VII .303 cartridges had rims which were beveled at the rear so they could slide over the next cartridge instead of locking onto it's rim.
Just superb. Someday old people are gonna look back and say, "I was there when the youtubes finally got good." And that was a touching shout out to your folks, Mae. I imagine they're quite proud of you. Keep up the great work, and don't let the fudds and koobecaf kranks get you down.
Did you fill the chargers correctly? "One rim back, one forward, one back, one forward, one back". That allows the rounds to settle into two stacks in the magazine, and usually prevents rim lock.
Excellent accuracy and detail well worth all your effort !!! Really enjoyed it!!
I own a British 303 and LOVE IT! It is my deer hunting rifle and has never let me down ! GREAT RIFLE !
The problem Mae had with the chargers in the MkI* is because when they are made they are coated with a phosphate coating both inside and out. It has a texture roughly similar to sandpaper and the coefficient of friction is tremendous making it almost impossible to strip 5 rounds at once into the magazine. Experienced Lee Enfield competition shooters will polish the inside of the stripper clips so they slide virtually effortlessly into the magazine. It would be interesting to see an episode detailing the civilian target rifle versions of all the various iterations of the Lee Enfield rifle.
52:19 For myself, the advantage of keeping a gun decocked is that, God forbid, there be rusting of the springs for any reason, it reduces the risk of the rust binding the spring and so making cleaning impossible. Mind, if your spring rusts, you probably will want to replace it if one intends to shoot the gun, but for show pieces where authentic original bits are ideal, it helps some to keep the springs out of tension.
Great southern rebellion? By chance was this round abouts 1860's?
Speaking from the northern side of the Potomac, that's actually a cool name for it.
@@anthonyhayes1267 defintely more fitting than war of northern aggression *ahem* Fort Sumter
chinmoy808 Very true
No it was not
Fort sumter was illegally taken by a Union major. Sumpter was confederate by succession, the major on order of lincoln held the position. The confederacy tried to solve it peacefully. Going as far as to ask lincoln to order them out. Lincoln said no so they tried to smoke them out
Love how much effort you guys put into researching and making these and the top-notch production. Hats off to you.
Just great....I was about to take a nap......Then I got a notification that this video had just been posted. I'll take a nap later.........lol
Great episode guys. Best video on the Long Lees I have seen. Very informative.
I was so captivated it didn't seem long at all.
Love Lee Enfields.
Ha - love the new intro - and can't wait for new content from both channels!
Brilliant old songs. Thank you very much
56:30 I remember that song from the ending of Breaker Morant. Great movie!
"What rule did you shoot him under?"
"I'll tell you what rule we applied sir! We applied Rule 303"
Othias et al. your attention to detail is amazing; It's good to see my money well spent. As to @britishmuzzleloaders, thank you. I now have another channel to sub and a reason to acquire a Martini-Henry. Keep up the good work y'all.
We are glad you're helping
Again, WOW! What a fantastic video! I think I'm finally getting a handle on the British rifle designations. Thanks for the lesson
I have my grandfather Lee Metford bayonet as the Royal Montreal Regiment still had the Lee Metford their contribution in the Boar war. So they entered the trenches at Ypres equipped with the Lee Metford as opposed the the other Canadian troops carrying the Ross Rifles. So I had feed back on that from grandfather. Along with stories of fighting alongside indigenous troops like, Francis Pegahmagabow MM, Indian (Sikh, Muslim and Gurkha ) soldiers equipped with Indian (Ishapore) made Lee Enfield rifles. Also Note Francis Pegahmagabow MM who most likely use a Mark I Ross rifle, which he continued to use until severely wounded in the late stages of the war and was evacuated to England for Surgery and recovery then back to Canada.
We require additional team-ups between you two now.
Othias, Othias....ahhhhh...at 16:15 you mention 1 Sergeant and 3 enlisted men of the "123rd Royal Welsh Fusiliers" and raised the hackles of the land of my fathers. It should be 1st Btn, 23rd Regt of Foot (Royal Welsh Fusiliers) for that 1880 date. They must have worked fast because later that year the 1st Btn was sent to India. You do such a fabulous job but I just had to mention rhis. Cymru am blyth!
Pleeeeease do an episode on the Martini Henry! I need to know how and why they decided to use foil brass cartridges (at least at first). I know it’s a little anachronistic for WWI but...ya know...just do it anyways. For me?
It's not anachronistic!! According to en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_infantry_weapons_of_World_War_I both Martini-Henris in .577/450 and Martini-Enfields in .303 made it to the First Big Playground Squabble. Something something incendiary ammunition for shooting at balloons; arming sailors in minesweepers and q-ships.
@@OneMartinAmongMany Well now they *really* have no reason not to do a video on this fantastically interesting rifle!
OTHIAS!
HEAR OUR PLEA!
52:20 - Really good advice. I was wondering about that myself, thank you.
Although I'm sad that this video isn't "Primer 045 MkII" or MkI*...
This is such a great sight thanks to indy for mentioning it. and you are right not to bother with high speed ammo wasting. it's only hits that count.
I almost teared up in empathy for your script sufferings.
Awesome presentation, thanks for your hard work.
Well done Othais and Mae, very enjoyable and informative.
such a great well connected video! my father & 2 brothers were on Gallipoli (1 is still there he was a champion shot but was downed by a shell before he reached the firing line) some of the NZs were still using the long tom & burns from the barrel were a problem , a guy mentioned this in a home letter & was accused of subversive activity! My dad (South Canterbury Mounted ) said the Long Tom seemed more accurate than the short Mk 111 ,funny thing my brother in law ( WW2 survivor) said same thing ie. a he saw more exceptional shooting with the "old" Tom than later marks. he was a keen shooter before army serviceHe should have known he want through Greace, Western desert & Italy (went with 34...4 returned) He did one hell of a lot of fighting & used every gun he came across
Strangely enough the Lee Metford can still be seen being carried on parade, it’s the standard issue parade weapon of the Atholl Highlanders in the U.K.
Wonderfully informative. Thank you for your effort.
I think the format of the show is rite-on,, I like the the detailed history and the impression of the rifle from the shooter,, is a huge part of how we can understand it's feel and operation. It's unfair about some comments made with a conceding flavor ,, everyone has their rite to be heard, but sometimes I wonder if they think about it first, or what they really want to address? You all make first rate videos, Thanks.
In the late '60's and into the '90's, I collected Lee-Enfields. This was a time when I could pick up a No4 T w//scope for under $200. Try that today.
Anyway, my collection ran from a CL-MLE, to No. 1's (8 ea) No. 2's (2 ea), No. 4's (13 ea) a single N0. 5 and a replica Aussie No. 6.MKI. All with bayonets.
Because of this, I consider myself some what knowlegeble about the Lees.
I still found your Primer #045 interesting.
The only comment I can suggest is that Mae should keep the rifle mounted on her shoulder, instead of dropping it to waist level to operate.
I have noticed her doing this in other videos as well.
I still prefer this over the G98, for the simple reason that it has a larger mag.
I am almost sure after firing the first 10, loading 5 and firing five and repeating the 5 and 5 was the norm. Fumbling with the second charger to get the 10 into the magazine would be slower than just 5 and 5. If you were bursting from cover or going over the trench top 10 would be nice to have on tap.
Yo, big O!
Can U please do one on the propellants and cartridges.
The weapons ain't everything.
this one of your best guys ...well done ... WOOHooo that Giggles of Mae makes it all worth while ....
Yeah Wisconsin and Milwaukee my hometown
so the 1866 was basically a 19th century submachine gun
Yep
I think Assault rifle would be more accurate, but you're in the ballpark.
@@Horus_the_Lupercal well 44 Henry is definitely a piatol cartridge
At 1:12 she is not using the stripper clips as designed. I have used them many times on my various SMLE variants, and it is one quick downward push with the extended thumb, and- Bob's your uncle!
This isn't an SMLE variant. Those were designed to use a stripper clip, these were not.
From my understanding these were a bit iffy when new, but add in the obvious wear and tear this rifle has suffered and her issues aren't surprising.
I don't know if you olny go back as far as ww1 with firearms, but I would really enjoy a video on the Martini Henry rifle.
__- don’t worry, the Ottomans and Romanians used the Martini Henry rifle (or derivatives of that system) during the war. An Ottoman Martini Henry has appeared on the rack on several episodes.
The fact that the British adopted the detachable box magazine rifle only to cripple it with charger loading is a real puzzle as they had the potential for a massive advantage in firepower yet destroyed it by back stepping to a clip loader!
Am I the only one who is under the impression that Rob here is the English cousin of Ron from Parks and Recreation?
I’ve always thought they looked similar.
WHY will no one tell me why my cat constantly licks his nether regions while watching these videos? What secret cat licking technology do you employ ???!!
Your cat is a secret agent! The kitty spy agency better known as CAT cat agency tactics. To keep our world free from dog world control.
Really looking for to your next video of the SMLE and hopefully a mention of the lithgow SAF. Keep up the great work!
Bigger then Ben Her, epic and great work. Really appreciated.
Surely the rimlock issue is down to your modern, contemporary ammo opposed to the ammo the rifle was made for (1910s SA cordite with a chamfered rim)
I am really glad this show doesn't have that British patriotic bias for lee-enfields, or at least tried to maintain the most neutral attitude about it than any other show I have seen. I noticed a recurring problem of British shows tend to have bias even if they aren't trying to. They keep mentioning the cock-on-close and the fast feeding system too much and not enough pointing out the flaws of the weapon. This still happens if it is not done by a British show. They'll keep doing the same thing. They simply don't point out the flaws enough or put that much emphasis on the flaws like they should, too me. I get a feeling I am not being provided the full scale of the gun in the process whenever I do. Even if you did there's a chance of a chaotic stir of a complaint storm from those who are lee-enfield fans, all because they made it seem not at the same scale of glorious like they imagine them to be. It's like someone making a none bias video about AK-47s. The fans and the lore behind them make gaining or providing education about the devise very difficult, and thanks to the lore it causes misinformation, thanks to causing people not bothering to check facts. They just rely on the lore, myths, and stories being true. You simply can't have a none bias informational segment about high profile guns, such as these.
Good job C&Rsenal
Tom Sanders fragile mags for the role that it ENDED UP IN (the durability was just fine for what the magazine was intended for), the busy sight picture, the feed-lip and rim-lock problems especially present in the Lee-Metford, and the lack of strength for the cartridges for what the Brits wanted (.276 Enfield). When compared to the Mauser, it is not as accurate. There was also the fact that they had to update the rifle about a dozen times.
In the school Corps at Downside I was trained on the Lee Enfield 303 and Bren guns!
Magazine cut off; another one of management's better ideas. Loved by the brass, hated by the troops. I wonder how many of these rifles, like yours, some how managed to lose the cut off?
The magazine cutoff was a great idea at the time the Lee Metford was adopted. Without clip loading, your practical rate of fire whether using the magazine or not was essentially the same so in general firing it would be reasonable to use single shot. The magazine would then provide you a brief, rapid series of shots when needed.
In particular the opening of the battle is likely to be at longer ranges when slower more deliberate fire is needed, so using the magazine then would provide minimal benefit.
Through the life of the Lees British doctrine actually reflect this concept in that you were supposed to try to reload after firing five rounds but, if needed, you still had five in reserve. And loading five twice is effectively the same time usage as loading ten once.
Once clip loading was introduced that all changed and there was no reason not to constantly use the magazine. The cut-off stuck around on the SMLE primarily as a sort of safety. You could easily load ten rounds, close the magazine cut-off and close the bolt with to have your rifle loaded with the chamber empty. And in drill and training it allowed the NCOs and officers to easily see what you were doing.
Great episode with fantastic research
Wonderful video! I've been looking forward to this one for a while. A Lee-Enfield (the SMLE, mind you, but still) was my very first firearm.
Mae mentioned the dust cover dragging. I have a long lee that didn't come with a dust cover. however I was able to find an original dust cover. Upon installing it, I found it dragged a fair bit, causing a once smooth bolt operation to be a little rough. Were these covers originally fitted to each rifle individually?
Othias's comment about Britian's large budget is somewhat deceptive. Yes, England's own home army was rather small, but England had to also consider it's world wide naval presence as well as military presence in most of Africa, Arabia, and Asia. Seen in that light their military budget was seen as anemic.
I wonder if back in the early 1900s people would collect old military firearms similar to how we collect their weapons today. Conversely I wonder if in another 100 years time if people will be collecting AR-15s and AKs as old Curio and Relic firearms and doing videos on them the same way this channel does.
Thanks for taking the trouble to update and clarify the "spare magazine" issue. In addition to going out of your way to keep your content 100% accurate the manner of your update was outstanding. Thanks again to both the C&R team and British muzzle loaders.
We get by with a little help from our fiends.
Seeing the original Lee Enfield and hearing "Soldiers of the Queen" reminds me of the ending of "Breaker Morant".
My favorite part of the new into was Britishmuzzleloaders unique but totally comically Victorian way of hinting at the next episode.
man, a massive thanks!!!!!!
i cant even fathom the amount of work you did for this ep
keep it up
Mae looks smashing in that dashing smart vest. I appreciate that alot. Haha Great video and history as always. :)
I use this to help get me to sleep. Othis has a calming voice ( drugs aren't working!!)
Great video guys!! I also subscribe to britishmuzzleloaders and it was great to see him on your channel.
Can't wait for more of your videos! Proud to be a fellow Carolina citizen.
Another great episode. I really appreciate the research that goes into the history of the guns, it makes the show.
For the watchers, pokey hand or pencil?